THE OPERATION OF A CATHODE RAY TUBE
OBJECT: To acquaint the student with the operation of a cathode ray tube, and to study the
effect of varying potential differences on accelerated electrons.
THEORY: A heater coil in the back of the CRT, when supplied with 5 to 6.3 volts AC, heats the
cathode which in turn emits a high density electron stream. The electrons pass through an
aperture and are focused into a beam. They enter an axial electric field (E a ) and are uniformly
accelerated in the axial direction by an accelerating potential (Va ). The resulting axial velocity
(vx ) can be calculated using the conservation of energy equation:
KE = PE, or ½ me vx² = e Va ,
or vx = [2 e Va /me ]1/2 .
(1)
After the electrons leave Ea they continue at the constant velocity (vx ) until they reach the
deflecting plates. If an electric field (Ed ) exists between the deflection plates due to an applied
voltage (Vd ), the electrons are accelerated (deflected) toward the more positive plate and they
acquire a velocity (vy ) perpendicular to the plates. The force exerted on an electron due to the
deflecting field is FE = e Ed . As this force acts for a time t1 , then the speed vy can be found:
vy = a t1 , where a = FE /me = e Ed /me .
Therefore,
vy = e Ed t1 /me .
(2)
Since the electric field strength, Ed , is constant between parallel plates,
Vd = Ed d, or Ed = Vd /d .
(3)
where d is the separation of the two parallel deflecting plates. The time they are in the field is
related to the plate length (s) by
vx = s/t1 , or t1 = s/vx .
(4)
Therefore, from Eqs. (2), (3), & (4) :
vy = e (Vd /d) (s/vx )/me , or vy = (e Vd s)/(me vx d).
(5)
Having been affected by the voltages Va and Vd , the electrons are deflected at an angle 
with respect to the tube axis where  can be determined from
tan () = Opposite side/Adjacent side = D/L .
(6)
where D is the deflection distance on the screen and L is the distance from the midpoint of the
parallel plates to screen.
The velocities are proportional to the lengths, because the time interval is the same; thus
tan() = vy /vx = D/L .
(7)
The Cathode Ray Tube 2
Using Eq. (1) and Eq. (5) we can get the ratio of velocities in terms of the voltages:
vy /vx = (Vd s)/(2 d Va ) .
(8)
Finally, then, using Eq. (8) in Eq. (7) we get:
D/L = tan() = vy /vx = (Vd s)/(Va 2 d),
or D = (Vd sL)/(Va2d)
(9)
The electrons then continue at constant velocity in a straight line until they strike the screen and
activate the phosphorescent coating on the inside, causing it to glow. Note: in this experiment
we are going to test Eq.(9). Note that s, L and d all depend on the shape of the CRT and
can’t be changed. Only Vd and Va can be varied in this experiment.
Part 1: Electric Fields and Voltages
POWER SUPPLY WIRE CONNECTIONS:
DO NOT CONNECT ANY POWER CORDS YET. Coming out of the back of the CRT are three
sets of wires. One set contains six color coded wires, the other two sets each contain two
wires. Trace the wire from pin 7 (pin 7 is marked on the back of the CRT). This is the -Y
terminal. The wires from pin 8, 10, and 11 are the +Y, -X, +X terminals respectively.
A wiring diagram appears on the last page. You may wish to refer to it as you make the
connections.
Connections for the heater coil: With the high voltage (HV) supply turned off and unplugged,
connect the double pronged yellow wires to the 6.3 Vac or 5 Vac terminals on the supply.
Connections for the accelerating plates: With the high voltage (HV) supply turned off and
unplugged, connect the positive side (red output) to the A terminal of the resistor network.
Connect the negative side (black output) to the B terminal of the resistor network. Connect the
green and brown wires of the CRT to this negative terminal. Connect the red wire to the
positive terminal. Connect the blue wire to the middle input of the network. Connect one side
of the heater coil to the negative input of the resistor network.
Connections for the deflection plates: With the variable dc voltage supply turned off and
unplugged, connect either the X or Y set of wires from the CRT to the + and -- outputs of the
supply. Connect either the + or -- side to the ground terminal (middle terminal) of the supply.
Connect this ground terminal to the positive side of the HV supply. Connect the other set of
deflection plate wires to this common ground terminal. Finally, connect a DMM to the + and -terminals to measure the deflection voltage difference, V d.
Once you have completed the wiring, ask your instructor to check it before you plug in the
power supplies.
The Cathode Ray Tube 3
PROCEDURE :
1. Make sure that the high voltage control is turned all the way down (V a = 0) and turn on the HV
supply. Allow the heater coil to warm up. You should see the coil glowing in the back of your
CRT. Now increase the high voltage to 500 V. Use the meter on the HV supply to read the
voltage. Varying the potentiometer control changes the resistances between its three terminals
which changes the relative sizes of the voltages V b and Vc. This will affect the collimation of the
electron beam. Turn the pot control to obtain the best focus of the dot.
2. Rotate the CRT horizontally (in the plane of the table) until the dot is at a convenient starting
position. Record its position. (This is with Vd= 0). When reading the CRT, put your eye so that
the dot, your eye, and your eye's reflection are in the same line.
3. Now turn on the variable dc voltage supply and take readings as you vary V d from zero to its
maximum value or until the dot goes outside the grid. (A good place to record the voltage is
at every ¼ inch grid mark.) Make the position of the dot at Vd=0 correspond to D=0.
4. Now reverse the deflection plate terminals with respect to the variable voltage supply and
again take readings as you vary Vd from zero to its maximum value or until the dot goes outside
the grid.
5. Decrease Va to 400 V and repeat the procedure in step 3 in order to get a second set of data
for deflection in one direction. You do not have to reverse the deflection plate terminals as in
step 4. However, use the deflection plate connections which allow the largest deflection voltage
to be used.
6. Decrease Va to 300 V and repeat the procedure in step 5 in order to obtain a third set of
data.
REPORT:
1. Graph the following two relationships:
A. D vs Vd (3 straight lines with different slopes on one graph) [* See note on last page.]
B. Va*D vs Vd (again plot all 3 data sets on a second graph) and calculate the effective
(sL/2d) value for the deflection plates (the slope).
2. What is the correlation between the slopes of the lines in 1A and the accelerating potential
Va? What does theory (Eq. 9) say the slopes of the lines should depend on?
3. What does theory (Eq. 9) say the slopes of the three lines for graph 1 B should be? How
well does your data support this prediction?
4. The following two explanations should be in words and should be based on basic laws and
relations (such as Newton’s 2nd Law, conservation of energy, and the definition of electric field).
(a) Explain how and why changing the deflecting potential (Vd ) will affect the deflection of the
electron beam. (b) Explain how and why changing the accelerating potential (Va) will affect the
deflection of the electron beam.
5. Discuss sources of experimental uncertainty. Do these sources of experimental uncertainty
account for any discrepancies between theory and the results of your experiment?
The Cathode Ray Tube 4
Part 2: Magnetic Fields
PROCEDURE:
1. With Vd set at 0, take a bar magnet and hold it several feet away from the right side of the
CRT. Point the bar magnet at the right side of the CRT and bring the magnet slowly closer to
the CRT. Observe the deflection of the beam. Does the deflection of the beam depend on how
near the front or back of the right side of the CRT you point the magnet?
2. Repeat the procedure with the opposite side of the magnet pointing toward the right side of
the CRT.
3. Repeat on the left side.
4. Now hold the magnet several feet above the CRT and slowly bring the magnet toward the
top of the CRT. Observe the deflection of the beam.
5. Again repeat the procedure with the opposite side of the magnet pointing toward the top of
the CRT.
6. Now hold the magnet a foot or so below the CRT (i.e., under the desk). Does the desk
shield the CRT from the magnet?
7. Finally, point the magnet directly at the beam and approach the beam carefully. Observe the
deflection. When at the screen face, slowly move the magnet up (still pointing it parallel to the
beam) and then to one side.
REPORT:
1. Record your results for all parts above.
2. Can you devise a general rule that covers all of your observations?
The Cathode Ray Tube 5
Note on drawing graphs
We normally plot the independent variable on the horizontal axis (x),
and the dependent variable on the vertical axis (y). For graph A, the
distance of deflection, D, depends on the deflecting voltage, Vd,
so normally we would plot D on the vertical axis and Vd on the
horizontal. From theory, we have Eq. 9: D = Vd (sL/2dVa), and this
is what we are trying to check with our graphs.
D
(in.)
If you measured the deflecting voltage for each ¼ inch of deflection,
Vd (Volts)
so that you have different “x” values (Vd’s) for the same “y” values
(D’s) in the three different runs, and if you have trouble with your plotting routines doing this,
you may reverse the above graph and plot Vd vs D. This will allow you to have different “y”
values (Vd’s) for the same “x” value (D), and may make plotting your three runs on the same
graph easier. However, if you do this, you should note this in your report and explain the
reason for the change. Also, be aware that from Eq. 9, we see that the slope of the D vs V d
curve is (sL/2dVa), but the slope of the Vd vs D curve (flipping “y” and “x”) gives the inverse
slope of (2dVa /sL).
Supply Wiring Diagram